Thread: Campaign Launched to Encourage Illegals to Fight Terrorism

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/prn ... 91963.html

Jan. 17, 2006, 7:30AM



(PRN) Campaign Launched to Encourage Illegal Aliens to Fight Terrorism
PRNewswire

DALLAS, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Loftus Carlson, editor of http://www.CleverAmerican.com, claims that "border-jumping Mexicans could be America's most effective resource in the fight against terrorism." Carlson has launched a campaign to encourage Mexicans crossing the border by whatever means to report "OTMs" (Other-Than-Mexicans) who stream into the country illegally from countries like Syria, Yemen and Iran at the rate of over 50,000 a year.


"Every day, thousands of Mexican laborers cross the U.S. border illegally to pursue economic opportunity," writes Carlson. "Common sense tells us that these people are not a terror threat. While it's true that the porosity of our borders benefits both illegal workers and al-Qaeda operatives, that's certainly not your Mexican landscaper's fault."

While Carlson hastens to add that "many OTMs entering the country via Mexico simply seek a better life ... Homeland Security intelligence indicates that dangerous terrorists also seek entry via our southern border, aided by such organizations as the notorious MS-13 gang."

The basis for Carlson's scheme to recruit illegal aliens is the U.S. State Department's "Rewards for Justice" program (http://www.rewardsforjustice.net), which provides generous rewards to informants of any nationality for information about terrorist activity. In the words of former Secretary of State Colin Powell:

"Rewards for Justice gives us millions of additional pairs of eyes and ears to be on the lookout. It puts potential informants in every place a terrorist might try to hide or operate in. And it works."

Thus, Carlson states, "Huge rewards are already in place and waiting to be claimed. We just need to spread the word to our intrepid border-crossing neighbors, who have no idea this program even exists. That's where http://www.cleveramerican.com wants to help - with Spanish-language billboards placed along the border to trumpet these wonderful incentives to millions of potential informants who've been ignored and underutilized." Carlson adds that his ultimate goal is to attract government sponsorship and administration of this publicity effort. "A substantial amount of Homeland Security resources must be devoted to raising the profile of Rewards for Justice among Mexicans immediately."

"Once engaged in the fight against terror," Carlson says, "these legions of undocumented workers would no longer be easy scapegoats for the likes of Congressman Tom Tancredo, Michael Savage and Michelle Malkin, who relentlessly cast these overwhelmingly decent people as constant reminders of our border insecurity. Aggressively recruiting hard-working illegal aliens (scores of whom perished in 9-11 alongside legal residents) to join the war against terror will save lives and protect our economy."

"'Illegal' or not," Carlson concludes, "we need all the help we can get in this life-or-death struggle if we are to continue to prevent the use of nuclear or biological weapons in American cities. The debate regarding illegal Mexican immigration can continue apace but it's time that Conservatives and Liberals alike focus on the immediate issue: defending our precious nation with all of our strength, resources and cleverness."

http://www.townhall.com/news/ext_wire.html?rowid=46442

Mexican Illegals Urged to Help Stop Terrorist Infiltrators
By Monisha Bansal

Jan 18, 2006

(CNSNews.com) - The director of a website that describes its mission as "provoking liberals" and "confounding conservatives" believes U.S. officials should use illegal immigrants from Mexico to help track down potential Middle East terrorists trying to penetrate American borders.

The illegal immigrants from Mexico are an "unbelievable resource," according to Loftus Carlson, editor of CleverAmerican.com. "There are millions of them, and as Colin Powell has stated, they are additional eyes and ears that can be used to prevent terrorist activity in the United States."

The potential terrorists, who Carlson labels "Other-Than-Mexicans" (OTMs) enter the U.S. illegally from such radical countries as Syria, Yemen, and Iran, he said.

Carlson said the illegal immigrants should be made aware of the Rewards for Justice program, which has been endorsed by Powell and offers monetary rewards for information regarding terrorist activity. Carlson said he is trying to raise money to raise awareness of the program.

"This is such an important issue. I think people should look past the immigration debate. We have this unbelievable resource at our disposal that we simply have not been making use of," Carlson told Cybercast News Service.

He added that there would be no one "better to patrol and safeguard our borders than illegal aliens from Mexico, who are clearly not interested in participating in terror.

"While it's true that the porosity of our borders benefits both illegal workers and al Qaeda operatives, that's certainly not your Mexican landscaper's fault," Carlson said.

But John Keeley, director of communications for the Center for Immigration Studies, said the campaign is not "some startling strategy for Homeland Security."

"While the president suggested four years ago that all Americans need to be the eyes and ears of the community, in a sort of community watch for a post-9/11 world, this is not really keeping in the spirit of that task," Keeley told Cybercast News Service.

"The task of securing the country against terrorism is appropriately the responsibility of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement. The idea that [illegal immigrants from Mexico] should be regarded as deputies of our homeland security seems pretty far-fetched to me," he added.

Keeley said the U.S. government should instead crack down on illegal immigration. "If you stop illegal immigration, you by definition stop OTMs," he said.